Refrigerating apparatus



Aug. 1.6, 1927. 1,639,528

F. MEYER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 25,' 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Il.l

Aug. 16, 1927. 1,639,528

F. MEYER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1924 Zweers-sheet' 2 Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MEYER, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MEYER :BODY- CO. INC., F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REFRIGEEATING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 25,

This invention relates to, a refrigerator which-is more particularly designed for use on a wagon whereby ice cream isdelivered from a factory t-ocustomers.

It is the object of this invention to provideY a refrigerator of this character which is comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, which permits of Vreadily maintaining the goods at the desired l0 cooling temperature with a minimum eX- penditure of ice, and which can be easily replenished with ice whenrequired and conveniently cleaned forkeeping the refrigerator in the most sanitary condition.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is a side 'elevation of an ice cream delivery wagon embodyingmy improvements.

Figure 2, is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2 Figure 1.

Figure 3, is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3 3 Figure 2.

Figure 4, is a vertical transverse section taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Figure 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings ;--y

The numeral 10 represents the .chassis of the icecream wagon which in the present instance is constructed as part of a gas-engine driven automobile.. Upon the front part of this chassis is mounted the usual drivers cab 11 and upon the rea-r part thereofa housing 12 is arranged which may be. divided into various compartments to suit the particular purpose for which the same is to be used. As shown this housing-has a front refrigerator compartment or chamber 13 upon'the bottom 14 of which cans containing icecream tobe delivered are supported and about midway of the height, of this compartment contains a horizontal rack 15 adapted to support ice cream in brick form packed in cartons, crates and the like. In rear of the refrigerating compartment is arranged the ice` compartment 16 in which a supply of ice is stored for use in packing the ice cream in tubs when delivering the same toL the trade, additional compartments being provided for holding a supply of salt and to store empty cans which are returned by they eustomers.

The several walls of the refrigerating 1924. serialy No. 728,127.

compartment are normallytight so asto pre vent-V the escape of the cold air therefrom and maintain the same at a low temperature. v

The bottom 17 of the ice storage compartment, however, is constructed of slats which are separated by intervening passages 18 through which the water of the `meltingice can escape into a pan 19 below the slats and' then conducted to the rear of the chassis so as'to keep the water and brine away from the running gear of the automobile and pre'- vent corroding the same which otherwise would occur.. Y

then it is desired to wash out the refrigeratlng compartment a plug 20 is removed from a drain passage 21 in the lower part of the rear wall 22of the refrigerating compartment which separates the same from the ice compartment whereby the wash water can of the refrigerating chamber are so e011-,v

structed that the same have a heat insulating capacity, this being accomplished by arrangl ing cork 26 between inner and outer shells 27, 28 of these members. v

The means for maintaining the interior of the refrigerating compartment at a low temperature in accordancewith my invention are constructed as follows Arranged within the upper part-of the refrigerating chamber is a brine tank lwhich has a main elevated front part 29 adapted to contain the main part of the refrigerant and a depressed rear part 30 forming a. sump or catch basin in which the sediment of the refrigerant is adapted to lgather and from which the same may be removed. This tank is constructed of suitable sheet metal, preferably copper to avoid corrosion andthe same is of rectangular form in horizontal section but its circumferential dimension is less than the int-ernal dimensions of the refrigerating chamber so that all four side walls of the tank are spaced apart from the walls of the refrigerating chamber so that the outer sides of the tank walls and the under side of its bottom are exposed to the interior of the refrigerating chamber and thereby produce the maximum cooling effect of the refrigerant in the tank on the cont-ents of the refrigera-ting chamber. rifhe brine tank is removably supported in its operative position by connecting the upper edges of its walls by bolts 3l with the inner site of a frame 3:2 on the upper ends of the refrigerating compartment walls, whereby this tank may be detached from these walls and removed upwardly ont of the refrigerating compartment for the purpose of inspecting or repairing the same.

Normally the top of the brine tank is closed by a horizontal top 9 which is detacln ably connected with the top frame 32 of the refrigeratiig compartment by means of bolts or screws 38 and ice and salt for the formation of brine, or other refrigerant 1s introduced into this tank through a filling opening 34 in the top, which opening is normally closed by a lid 35, said top and lid being of heat insulating construction the saine as the side walls and bottom of the refrigerating compartment to prevent temperature radiation through the same.

Transversely in the lower part of the brine tank, and preferably only over the elevated front part of its bottom, a plurality of horizontal cooling or air circulating pipes 86 are arranged and mounted at their opposite ends on the longitudinal walls of the tank, so as to communicate with opposite sides of the upper part of the refrigerating compartment. By means of this construction the air in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment is free to pass back and forth through the pipes 36 and thus aid in reducing the temperature of the same and increasing the refrigerating effect on the contents of the refrigerating chamber. As the chassis roc rs crosswise and tilts forwardly and backwardly during transportation of the truck the swashing of the brine causes the same to come in contact with all -parts of the bottom and walls of the tank and the pipe extending therethrough and thus impart the maximum cooling effect of the refrigerant to the air in contact with these surfaces and producing a uniform lowering of the temperature in the adjacent part of the refrigerating compartment. During this @agitation of the brine any sediment therein gradually works its way into the catch basin or sump 30 in the rear part of the tank from which it can be more conveniently removed owing to the absence of any cooling pipes therein.

1n addition to fastening the tank atl its upper edge to the upper frame of the walls of the refrigerating compartment the same is supported on its under side by a plurality of horizontal supporting bars 37 engaging transversely with the underside of the tank and suspended at their opposite sides by hangers or rods 38 from the frame 32, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and t.

The brine is maintained at such a level in the tank so as to partly submerge the air circulating pipes 36 and when it rises above Jthis line the surplus escapes through the upper end of an overflow pipe 39 which preferably extends upwardly through the bottom of the depressed part of the tank and is provided at its upper end with a screen '/lO to prevent the escape of any large foreign matter theretnrough and possibly clogging the passages with which this overflow connects. rEhe brine which escapes from the i 'through the overflow pipe 39 passes downwardly through a cooling coil stl which is arranged along the rear wall 22 of the refrigerating chamber so that this brine is compelled to give its cooling effect to the air within this chamber. the escape of the brine from this coil the lower end of the same is connected with a stand pipe Ll2 which extends upwardly from the lower end of the coil within the refrigerating compartment and connects with the upper end of a discharge pipe 43 having its lower end terminating over the pan 19 so that the latter receives the spent brine and delivers the same with the melted ice water `at the rear of the chassis. By this means fthe overflow brine is compelled to lay in the coil and the stand pipe 4t2 up to the upper end of the latter before it can finally escape so that practically all of the cooling effect of the brine is abstracted therefrom and utilized for reducing the temperature in the refrigerating compartment before the brine is permitted to escape. The discharge pipe 43 is preferably arranged in rear of the wall 22 and the connection between the upper end of the stand pipe and discharge pipe extends 'through this wallas shown in Figures 2 and i/Vhen it is desired to flush out the sump or catch basin for removing any sediment which may have accumulated therein a waste or flush pipe 45 is opened which pipe communicates at its upper end with the bottom of the sump and terminates at its lower end over the pan 19 below the ice chamber and is provided with hand operated valve 46. The lower part of this llush pipe and its valve 46 are arranged in the rear ofthe wall 22. For the purpose of protecting the discharge pipe 43 and the flush pipe from the ice on the ice chamber the same are enclosed in a small protecting chamberI la arranged in one corner of the ice chamber, access to this protecting chamber for manipulating the hand valve 46 being afforded through a doorway 117 in the adjacent longitudinal wall of this chamber which is normally closed by a door 48, as shown in Figures 2 and 3j n order to retard`A When it is desired to drain the cooling coil in the refrigerating chamber this can be done by removing a plug 49 in the lowermost part of this coil; upon removing this plug the brine from the coil flows to the bottom of the refrigerating chamber and passes thence through the drain passage 2l into the pan. To prev-ent any large solid matter from passing into the iiush pipe the upper end thereoi` is covered by a screen 50, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

This refrigerating apparatus enables an exceedingly loW temperature to be maintained in the refrigerating chamber by the expenditure of a comparatively small amount of ice and liquid, or other rerigerant, and thus effects a considerable economy in the cost of delivering ice cream or the like from a plant to customers which are located at ditferent points and thus require the refrigerating chamber to be opened at frequent intervals in making deliveries. Furthermore this construction is very compact so that the 'maximum amount of space is availablel for carrying containers of the commodity Which is being dispensed. Moreover the several parts are so organized that the same are readily accessible and also .removable for inspection, cleaning and repairing.

I claim as my invention A refrigerating apparatus comprising a rerigerating compartment adapted to receive the articles to be cooled, a refrigerating tank arranged in the upper part of said compartment and having an elevated part and a depressed part, said elevated andv depressed parts being arranged side by side, a plurality of ai-r pipes arranged Within the tank abovethe elevated part of the same VWhile ,the space above the depressed` part thereof is devoid of such pipes, an overflow pipe having an inlet arranged Within the tank and in line With the center of said pipes, and a drain pipe having an inlet opening into the tank at the bottom of the depressed part thereof. Y

Y FREDERICK MEYER. 

